10 Small Cities With World-Class Food Scenes

When folks talk about thebest food cities in America , there ’s a trend to mean big . Like , sprawling - metropolitan - arena big … situation where the population of classically trained chefs could feasibly meet an entire modest townspeople in South Dakota , then start oppose over who makes the in force deconstructedchislic .

The city on this list – all with universe of fewer than 100,000 – essay that you do n’t need slaphappy thing like " public transportation system " and " the need to lock your door at Nox " to still bring the culinary thunder . These are n’t the good small towns with one or two terrific restaurants . They ’re small cities that can take for their own with the swelled boys , with enough culinary poke – we ’re speak diners , fine dining , motortruck , bars , bakehouse … you name it – to fertilise cities twice their sizing .

Asheville, NC

Population:83,000Is Asheville a great beer metropolis ? Yes . In fact , it ’s one of thebest in the whole country(thebest , if you happen to experience there ) . But despite my best efforts , a adult male ca n’t survive on beer alone ( for long ) . Luckily , this paragon of southerly cordial reception with a hippie twist keeps right up with that beer cred with a bustling , complex solid food scene .

Carolina BBQ is scattered throughout the region , but Asheville is fundamentally one - stop stag for whole pig , withBuxton Hallserving as a highlighting of the nitty-gritty conniption … and somehow managing that pulled pork halo without the benefit of it being made in a wayside shack of confutable geomorphologic integrity . Rhubarbrepresents one of thebest damned Southern restaurants , period ( hint : get anything with Sir Francis Bacon … so everything ) . Concrete bunkerThe Admiraloffers up awful takes on the fusion thing ( dress fried chicken FTW),Curate– with its amazing seafood and fresh - chopped iberico ham – hits needful tapas / fine - dining buttons , whileChai Panioffers up Indian - infused takes on pub fare . Oh , and you ’re in the South . Get biscuit . Preferably with deep-fried chicken atHomeGrown . It pairs well with beer . Everything does when you ’re in a city that ranks among the full beer and food cities in the US .

Aspen, CO

Population:6,500 ( permanent residents)Despite appearances – all those skier and mythic salmons of Capistrano give a false impression – Aspen remains a very , very small townsfolk . But what sets Aspen aside from other tourist - intemperate mountain towns of its like – from Breckenridge to Vail – is the sheer volume of large food shack therein . If Aspen had nothing but a gaggle of mall - chain fare , it ’d still be great . But , as it happens , the population –anywhere from 6,000 - 27,000 count on the season – is privy to some of the nation ’s best food . And , well , the presence of dispensaries certainly help the thirstiness felt by locals and tourer alike .

Fun fact : the hardest weekend to get a table is Fourth of July , the town ’s busiest . Aspen certainly gives people batch of blank space to refuel : with everything from fine - dining stalwarts like Chef Nobu ’s CO - only mini - chainMatsuhisaand The lilliputian Nell’sElement 47with its award - get ahead wine listing , to less - expensive eats at the pancake heaven that isPoppycock’sor an expertly made tiffin atPeach ’s . If you have to select a weekend to chaffer , Aspen host the enormousFood & WineClassiceach summertime , a long - persist intellectual nourishment lover ’s paradise that spell the good chefs from around the man for one thrust weekend . Or , you know , just go in the wintertime to ski and eat the food that ’s on a regular basis there . Also , do n’t missChefs Club byFood & Wineand David Burke Group’sAspen Kitchen . gravely , who even has clip to ski ?

Hamtramck, MI

Population:22,000OK , so maybe we ’re chisel a little , since Hamtramck is a citywithinthe metropolis of Detroit , and considering the suburban Detroit oblation ( and great thing become on up northward in Traverse City or in any of the lovely small-scale lake town ) , we could have gone in a number of directions for Michigan . But Hamtramck is very much in a world – and a class – all its own , and to ignore the food offer of this little townsfolk – or simply lump it in with Detroit like it ’s some sort of Sterling Heights – is to colour over the awesome experience of really dining in the anomaly .

Much of that punch comes from the city ’s huge Polish and Middle easterly populations , which means the extremely densely populated area is rife with more culinary varieties than most major metropolis twice the size of it of Detroit itself . Must - do food experiences admit a sit - down at the dark , dull basement jazz asPolish Village , which is perpetually throng with Eastern Euro families ready for hand-crafted cabbage rolls and kielbasa . Royal Kaboband Sheeba add huge platters of Yemeni fare , while you could get Bangladeshi takes on pizza pie ( think naga sauce on a thin crust and mind the ghost ) at the legendaryAmar Pizzaand unexpected vegetarian delights with a Buddhist dash atLiving Zen . have in a huge concentration ofdive bar , upscale bar transportation atRock City , dining compartment and bakeries perpetually pumping outpaczkiand mediate Eastern afters , and you ’ve got a captivating microcosm unstuck in time . Hamtramck might be enveloped by the metropolis . But it ’s still a seat all its own .

Healdsburg, CA

Population:11,000You could well go ahead and chunk Healdsburg – an idyllic , fancy - pants hamlet smack in the midriff of wine country – in with a number of other great Sonoma towns and call it a food region : with the like of Petaluma , Guerneville , and Santa Rosa add the hotness and wine maker scattered about like fast - food wrappers on a New Jersey back road , it ’s not exactly like the surface area ’s pain for upright food .

But Healdsburg , taken on its own , is like all of Sonoma concentrate into one little picturesque town , and with that ( and , let ’s be honest , some money floating around in the wind ) come excellent dining on every corner . The metropolis place - adjacentDry Creek Kitchenpops out incredible high - end fare like duck’s egg confit and a utter filet at monetary value that are ( for wine-coloured state ) relatively affordable , while the pocket-sized plates atBravasoffer up a nice line to the wine - and - cheese fare that seems to be everywhere . For those burn up out on vino , Bear Republicpairs its award - winning beers with one of the well Warren Burger in the county . Or , well , just grab a sandwich at local legendJimtown Store(hope for brisket , do n’t skip the biscuits ) and head out to the Russian River with a bottle of wine . Or beer . Or both . You ’re in all likelihood on vacation anyway .

Juneau, AK

Population:32,660At a mere 33,000 multitude , Juneau is still a somewhat fully grown town for Alaska , trailingjuuuuustbehind Fairbanks and , well , way behind Anchorage . But those cities , when pushing come to shove , are a bit behind lil ' Juneau in terms of the cobwebby loudness of excellent food being churn out in one of the most majestic towns in the union .

Many man in Alaska have beards . But two of Juneau ’s chef – Beau Schooler and Lionel Uddipa – have James Beard clout , which they bring to the fore in multiple restaurants . Schooler ’s cred admit head - to - rear end attainment brought to eating place likeThe Rookery Café , Panhandle Provisions , and the hypedIn Bocca al Lupo , while Uddipa lord over high - endSALT , where he wreak his experience at Michelin - recognized spots to completely put down AK - centric transportation , which relies intemperately on the sea .

Oh , yes , the seafood . Tracy’sis , desire us , the best piazza for king Cancer the Crab in the nation , if not the world . The owner also hunt down Hooked , a processing flora from which everything from halibut to sea cucumber are run up from the ocean and onto crustal plate around the state . There ’s Mexi / Asian nuclear fusion reaction atV ’s Cellar Door , legendary waffle spotGonZo … the listing goes on and on . For a town that ’s this tiny , Juneau ’s sway middling much every solid food trend other cities vie for , aright down to the foraging matter . Only here , it can be done in the chefs ' backyards .

Maine Lobster in Portland, ME

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McMinnville, OR

Population:33,000I go in Portland , and I can say you that there are lines and lines of people waiting outside a hip new station for eggs flop now who will be quick and uncoerced to murder me – or at least leave apassive - aggressive banker’s bill on my windshield– for this , but here it go : the better brunch in the land of Oregon comes from McMinnville’sCrescent Cafe . The chicken and dumpling ? Superb . The homemade " porc loaf of bread " take on scrapple is out of this world . Hell , it ’s deserving a trip just for a single menage - made English muffin at this maw in the rampart on a small drag of clientele in this little Rockwell town most famous for its Aviation Museum .

But brunch alone does n’t set little McMinnville apart from other great Oregonian small Town – from the coastal transportation of Cannon Beach to the Mexican nirvana that is Wilsonville . No , it ’s just a standout in a little town that includesNick ’s Italian Café , late bestowed an America ’s Classics award from the Beard folks for its no - fuss , East Coast - style Italian ( something of a rarity out here ) . The renownedThistlewas founded by a dude who ’s so taken up with farm - to - table and nose - to - posterior preparation that he once slugged a fop in Portland during a cook - off for fudging facts about his hog , for God ’s interest . bakeshop and ice pick shops round out the small-scale - town requisites , but here ’s another thing : this is in the fondness of Willamette Valley wine-coloured rural area . So yeah , there are also wine bars . And multiple tapas bars . And nature . Not that you ’ll have the sentence or energy to get out and move .

Oxford, MS

Population:19,000Mississippi is a state litter with holes in the wall where howling Southern psyche food comes with a side of American story , much of which is substantially less savory than the pig ’s ears and oxtails on the plate . So what sets Oxford – a college Ithiel Town with a fancy town square and a gigantic arena with three times more seats than the town ’s permanent occupier – aside ? Well , let ’s just originate with John Currence , a James Beard - winning chef who calls the urban center plate and , more importantly , has five different restaurants that could each be study among the good in the South , among them the famedCity Grocery , Snackbar , andBig Bad Breakfast , restaurants that off the high - body of water patsy for New southerly comfort for all who grab a seat ( and who endured longsighted lines to do so ) .

But Currence is n’t alone . Want a classical meat & three ? Of course you do – you ’re in Mississippi . Hit upAjax Dinerfor burgers , soul , and mac . Catfish and deep-fried oysters?Taylor Grocery’syour pip ( there ’s a grocery theme , is n’t there ? ) . There ’s so much great food here , it ’s no surprise that the Ithiel Town that houses Ole Miss also houses the Southern Foodways Alliance , which is the first authority on Southern - electrocute custom . Clearly , it set up store here for a grounds , and it ai n’t football .

Portland, ME

Population:66,000Oh , sure , you’re able to cold-shoulder us for putting the biggest urban center in Maine on this list . But let ’s confront it : you’re able to fit the population of Portland , ME 10 times over in Portland , OR ( and plausibly get people in PDX angry about transplantation … it ’s kind of their thing ) . But despite that small universe , Portland can still attend with the its namesake food mecca on the remaining coast .

Based just on lobster alone , Maine ’s Portland has the advantage over most everybody , with standouts likeOld Port Tavern , Becky ’s Diner , andFishermen ’s Grillin contention for the country ’s best . Oysters , too , reign supreme , withEventide Oyster Co.a standout for its old - schoolhouse custom couple with fantastic drinks . talk of , thePortland Hunt & Alpine Clubis man - class on the cocktail front , and works wonders as a pregame for the mulct - dining fare atFore Street , or the upscale pub fare atDuckfat , run by aChoppedchampion who bed his way around some poutine . And that ’s to say nothing of the shanty , buffet car , and bars that have made Portland a legend , long before the hipsters out west steal the city ’s name . ( There were hipsters in the mid-1800s , right ? ) It also aid that the beer prospect is tremendous . And the urban center ’s beautiful . In fact , there ’s a lot of common land between the two Portlands , but the OG has something the other does n’t : a humble , laid - back attitude toward its vastness .

Waltham, MA

In addition to being a college town ( Bentley and Brandeis sit within its demarcation ) , Waltham is an exceptionally well - represented thaw grass – and anybody who ’s anybody knows that you ’ve got to open your eating house on Moody St , dearly know to outsiders as Restaurant Row . Just walk down this naut mi - prospicient stretchiness , you ’ll encounter Salvadoran , Japanese , Vietnamese , Caribbean , Italian , West African , Cuban , Brazilian , Thai , BBQ , and Indian joints . Like , enough that there are multiple eating place serve each culinary art and you ’ll be ram to opt your allegiance . Make certain to hit upTaqueria El Amigoand / orTaqueria Mexicofor some of the best under - the - radar Mexican in the Boston surface area , andIn A Picklefor its famed yellowish brown crunch Gallic toast . Or , if the fancier affair / instill your parents are desired , there ’s Italian amercement - dining greatness to be had atIl Capriccioand New American atRed Bird . But really , you would n’t be faulted for just hopping from one place to another , sampling food and developing a potent urge to travel the macrocosm . When you ’re done you ’ll feel like you already did . "

Winter Park, FL

Population:29,000"Suburban Orlando , " to the uninitiate , might fathom like a office where nonagenarians go to get away from the young’uns who make too much noise at the 4 postmortem dinner table service in the big metropolis . You ’d be wrong . In fact , our Miami - based expert / travel author name the idyllic , tree diagram - line suburban area " domicile to the intact food scene north of St. Petersburg . " Considering the sheer amount of Florida packed into that affirmation , it ’s bold .

But true . Most conversation come out with upscale southerly fare atThe Ravenous Pig , a gastropub whose shrimp & gritstone could giveHominy Grillin Charleston a run for its money . Those same kinsfolk are behindCask & Larder , which pair everything from hay - smoke steak to chicken skin - jest at huitre with house - made beer . Luma– with seafood ravioli and one of the commonwealth ’s best beefburger – does highbrow fare without the attitude , whileCocina 214brings a chef - based flair to Tex - Mex ( more the latter than the former in that hyphenate ) . Florida might be where people go to retire . But Winter Park is where those people go to check that they get the most out of their elastic sash . Oh , and do n’t worry . Most places are open past 5 .

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Buxton Hall in Asheville, NC